Rebtel Spins Out Sinch for In-App Communications

VoIP provider Rebtel Wednesday announced it has spun out a new service that it hopes will make it easier for mobile developers to add voice and messaging to their apps.

Called Sinch, the company will offer services including free calling, messaging, group messaging, SMS and call termination.

In a press release, the company said its goal is to "be simplest and most affordable solution for developers looking to add a useful social layer to their apps without compromising on quality."

The service targets developers in a broad range of app categories including travel, communications, gaming, social networking, commerce and dating.

“We plan to democratize in-app communications with Sinch," Sinch CEO Andreas Bernström said in a statement. "Rebtel was a pioneer in offering free and super-cheap voice services to consumers, and now Sinch is giving developers the best way to add a free communication layer to their apps.”

Originally incubated within mobile VoIP giant Rebtel as a developer API, Sinch will launch as an independent company with $12 million in funding.